Controlling Love
by XanderLuvsAll
Summary: Promises are made and kept but not in the way it was intended


After everything that had been done to prevent the Lords future from coming to pass, after Luthor had been defeated for once and for all, they had thought they were safe. That Wally was safe. They had been fools. Bruce had been a fool. After all his careful planning, after keeping Wally safe from all that would harm him, Bruce had believed that Wally was safe once Luthor was dealt with. Once they had a bigger,stronger League around them. Around Wally. He had even built a weapon in space to ensure it. Bruce had been against destroying it even after what happened as it was one of his greatest protections for Wally but he had listened.

More foolishness.

To believe that such a thing could protect him or rather that Bruce had been looking for such large threats when he should have looked closer. For as he stood over Wally's grave, he wished that he could go back and kill himself.

For not seeing the danger that was so close at hand while he looked with suspicion at all of their enemies and anything that could possibly represent a threat. Bruce had let go of the fear he had once had for the one that he had once feared above all others, once mistrusted more than anyone else. Bruce had even trusted him to keep Wally safe when he could not and that trust had failed him utterly.

For in the end it was not Luthor or a super-villain that had killed Wally, taken him from Bruce. Stripped him of his love and his son of his best friend.

No.

It had been Clark Kent, Superman.

..  
One of Wally's most trusted friends.

One of his protectors.

The one that had sworn to protect him from all harm had actually been the one to kill him.

To drill holes into his head, leaving him alive long enough for Bruce to be there to see him die. Being unable to save him. All Bruce could do was hold him as Wally breathed his last. When he closed his eyes Bruce could still remember those last moments with him.

"Bruce...After all this...We still come here."

"NO. NO...I will...there has to be a way...I won't lose you...I cannot."

"Bruce...I'm dead already.,..I love you...Don't ...become Lord ...you...Promise."

"I promise." Wally had died with a smile on his face, at peace after hearing those two words while Bruce was left to scream out his grief. Losing control for the first time in his life as once again everything that truly mattered was stripped from him. The other League members just stood watching silently with tears coursing down their faces.

Bruce could still remember and knew that he would never forget. Wally had died in his arms and he was thus forever alone, forever empty. Even the confrontation he had with Clark barely an hour later had made him feel.

"Bruce...You know...I would never have done it.,...I was being controlled...The...Grodd...I loved him."His words were cut off when Bruce hit him with Krypotonate rings. Repeatedly.

"Don't you dare claim to love him. Not after what you did...Once I thought of leaving him...When I learned that you loved him, I honestly thought of leaving him so he'd be with you. For he deserved so much better than me...You...You should have been able to love him better, protected him better than me...Now...You killed him.. You who were suppose to be his best protection...I have promised not to become a Lord...and I will keep that promise if I can."

Bruce pulled out a Kyprtonate dagger and placed it on the table.

"You have killed the man that I love above all else and the best friend of my son...Who is destroyed by this more deeply than either of us...You have killed the man you claim to love...The man that loved you and would have...would have been yours save for his love of me...I would not break my promise but...You do not deserve to live when he does not...When his blood is on your hands...You allowed yourself to be controlled by a gorilla...You let yourself strike down...the best man that will ever exist...You...do the right thing.'"

Bruce turned and walked out of the room.

He came back an hour later and was unsurprised to find Clark dead, with the dagger inside his chest. In his heart.

Nor was he surprised by the note.

"For Wally, who I love above all else and who I destroyed with my own hands. Forgive me."

Bruce was not surprised but nor was he content, even after learning that Jon and Dick had killed Grodd, almost ripped him apart while Diana and Shayera helped. His love was avenged but he felt nothing,

Even as he watched Wally be lowered into the ground, Bruce felt nothing.

For he knew that his emotions, his heart, his very soul had been lowered into the ground with Wally.

Thus Bruce never felt anything again.

Even as the League began to force change in Wally's name he felt nothing.

And more importantly did nothing.

For Wally had forgotten to make him promise to stop the Lords from forming at all.

Wally had forgotten that it was not just Bruce who had created the Lords. That it was not just Bruce who loved him. The League had loved him and they would make the world better in his name.

Worthy of him.

Wally West had been stroke down by Clark Kent, who was being controlled by Grodd.

Grodd had managed to control Clark as he was devastated emotionally by the marriage of Wally and Bruce.

Thus Grodd was able to control Clark and on the wedding day of the Flash and Batman, Wally was stroke down by the one person outside of his new husband that he loved.

Wally died.

Clark died.

Grodd died.

The world died.

And Bruce watched feeling nothing while keeping his promise.

Bruce never did anything, never became a Lord and never did a single thing to help or stop.

The world burned in Wally's name.


End file.
